Crimes and Politics: Falling in Love
by Potrix
Summary: The story of how Mycroft found his one true love against all odds; abusive father, crippling self-doubt and an amount of responsibility no teenager can handle without help. Help Greg is only too glad to give. Goes with my 'You and Me' series.
1. The Police Officer

**A/N:** Hello and welcome to 'Falling in Love', the first story of my 'Crimes and Politics' series.

Now, this series is set in the same universe as my 'You and Me' series and follows Mycroft and Greg. It starts way back, years before Sherlock and John meet, so there will be no Johnlock here. But a lot of cute, fluffy Mystrade, so that's something, right?

I would recommend reading 'New Beginnings' alongside this story, since they share their original characters and are closely linked. If you don't want to do that (shame on you!), there's a short summary/explanation in the end notes for you.

Please enjoy and tell me what you think!

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**Chapter Summary:** Sherlock is being an annoying little shit (as usual), which leads to a meeting between Mycroft and Greg.

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**Warnings: **swearing

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**Chapter One - The Police**

Mycroft frowned down at his phone. Sherlock never called. He preferred texting. With an annoyed huff, he got up and quietly slid out of the auditorium, bringing the phone up to his ear and pressing the blinking green button.

"As you are well aware, I am in the middle of a fairly important lecture. Whatever this is about, it better be-"

_"Is this Mycroft Holmes speaking?"_

Oh. That wasn't Sherlock. "Who is this, if I may ask?"

_"Yeah, uhm, sorry. Lestrade, Gregory Lestrade."_

There was the unmistakable sound of Sherlock groaning and starting what probably was a tirade of insults in the background. Mycroft sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "Whatever he has done now, I apologise on behalf of my brother."

The man - Gregory Lestrade - let out an amused chuckle. _"Not me you'll have to apologise to, mate. Any chance of you picking him up?"_

Mycroft wrinkled his nose at being called 'mate', but refrained from commenting. "Where?" he asked instead.

_"The Yard."_

* * *

His brother could be heard from across the station, his voice loud and demeaning as usual. Mycroft took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes before walking up to the front desk.

"Holmes." he stated and the grey haired man's eyes snapped up to him, glaring. He'd had the pleasure of personally meeting Sherlock, then.

"Second door on the left. Follow the noise."

Mycroft gave him a tight-lipped nod and went on in search of the troublemaker. He didn't fail to notice the disapproving stares and hushed conversations behind held up hands. Bracing himself, he knocked on the appointed door.

"Come in."

Taking another calming breath, Mycroft pushed open the door and stepped inside, freezing at the sight that presented itself. Sherlock, wrapped up in one of those hideous orange shock blankets, sat cross-legged on the floor in front of piles of pictures and case notes, rattling down explanations and comments without so much as acknowledging his brother's sudden presence in the room. What caught Mycroft's attention, however, was the police officer across from the boy, sitting in a similar fashion and appearing genuinely interested and strangely unaffected by Sherlock's harsh words.

The man's eyes wandered to the newcomer and he smiled brightly at Mycroft, pushing himself up and offering a hand. "Ah, Mycroft Holmes, I presume? PC Gregory Lestrade."

"Officer Lestrade." Mycroft said politely, shaking the offered hand. Gregory Lestrade's hand was comfortably warm. And soft. The man beamed at Mycroft, running a quick glance over his features until their eyes met - warm, dark brown and calculating, pale blue.

"We are not done here, Lestrade!" Sherlock barked from the floor and the PC blinked, finally letting go of Mycroft's hand - reluctantly so, if the redhead wasn't mistaken.

"Manners, Sherlock!" Mycroft hissed, the tips of his ears flushing pink in embarrassment. His brother merely rolled his eyes. Little bastard!

"No worries." Lestrade chuckled, motioning for Mycroft to sit down at a small table. "We tried reaching your parents." he said once they were both seated, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Away on business, I'm afraid."

"Which I told him." Sherlock sighed in a _'why-must-everyone-be-such-an-idiot?'_-way.

"We're inclined not to believe everything rebellious little boys tell us, kiddo." Lestrade grinned and Sherlock averted his eyes again and muttered under his breath, probably something insulting.

"How much trouble is he in?" Mycroft asked, fearing the worst. Sherlock had, in his eleven years, collected more warnings from the police than Mycroft or anyone else in the family liked to count.

Much to the redhead's surprise, Lestrade smiled and waved a dismissive hand. "He hasn't done anything, exactly."

Mycroft raised a sceptical eyebrow at that.

"He turned up at a crime scene and started yelling at the officers, informing them of their_ 'blatant stupidity and shocking incompetence'_." the police officer said, sounding a bit amused by the whole thing.

Mycroft blushed and shot his brother a filthy look.

"What? They _were_ being stupid!" Sherlock sneered and jumped up, standing next to his sibling. "This is beginning to bore me, take me home." he demanded, throwing the blanket into the next best corner.

"Sherlock!" Mycroft warned, appalled at the little one's lack of manners. Not that that was something new, but still.

"He's a bossy one, eh?" Lestrade laughed, the sound doing strange things to Mycroft's chest. "Must be the hormones, I was a nightmare during the months before I presented."

"I am not hormonal!" the curly-haired boy squeaked, affronted, and angrily stomped one of his feet.

"He's always been like that, I'm afraid." Mycroft sighed, sniffing the air and trying to make out Lestrade's scent.

"Do stop making that thing with your _enormous_ nose, Mycroft. You look like a bekantan." Sherlock groaned and smirked when his brother blushed a dark red, his mission _'embarrass Mycroft in front of every new person he meets'_ having been successful for the day.

"Oi, no being disrespectful to your brother!" Lestrade said sternly, poking a finger at Sherlock's chest.

The boy scowled and swatted at the PC's hand. "You're only saying that because you think he's cute. Which is disgusting, I might add."

"Sherlock-" Mycroft began angrily, but was interrupted by the other man.

"I am saying that because it's not proper to be mean to your siblings. The fact that he's cute has nothing to do with it."

The redhead looked gobsmacked, opening and closing his mouth a few times without actually making any sound. Was Lestrade flirting with him? Dear Lord!

Sherlock scrunched up his face and made exaggerated gagging sounds.

"Anyway, you can take the little devil home." the PC continued and turned to Sherlock. "And yes, you can have a copy of that cold case, as promised."

_"Really?"_ the two Holmes brothers asked in unison, sounding equally astound.

Lestrade shrugged. "The case is open to the public and if he wants to try his hand at it I'm not going to stop him."

"I am not merely going to _'try my hand __at it',_ Lestrade. I intend to have it solved by the end of the week." Sherlock informed the man.

"Call me if you do." Lestrade laughed, causing Sherlock to level him with a withering glare.

"I shall!" the boy sniffed haughtily and turned, making a bee-line for the door. "Take me home _now_, Mycroft!"

"Of course, your highness, right away." the older Holmes said as he got up and rolled his eyes while Lestrade chuckled at the boy's antics. "Thank you for being patient with him, he's..well, difficult."

"Ah, no worries." the police officer dismissed and followed the younger man to the door. "It was a pleasure to meet you." he smiled warmly as he shook Mycroft's hand, holding on just a little too long and squeezing just a little to gently to be considered professional.

Not that Mycroft was complaining, mind you. Lestrade was quite handsome and-

_"Mycroooft!"_ Sherlock whined impatiently and threw his head back dramatically, curls flying freely around his face.

"I have been summoned." Mycroft grimaced and shot Lestrade a last quick smile before leading his grouching brother out of the station.

* * *

"Do you even realise how improper your behaviour was?" Mycroft asked once they were sitting in the car on their way back home.

"Yes." Sherlock said, sounding bored by the conversation already.

Mycroft groaned inwardly and counted to ten before speaking again. "And I suppose it is really absolutely necessary for you to embarrass me at every chance you get?

"Naturally." the curly-haired boy drawled, drawing circles into the moisture gathering on the car window.

Knowing how pointless it was to lecture his little brother, Mycroft remained quiet and concentrated on the road instead.

"Are you going to tell father?" Sherlock wanted to know after a while, trying and failing to hide the fact that the thought of being punished by the Holmes patriarch terrified him.

"I will have to tell Daddy, the rest is up to him." the redhead said, sneaking a glance at the boy in the passenger seat. Sherlock looked nervous, biting at his nails and tapping his feet. Mycroft sighed and reached out, weaving a hand through his curls. "But I don't think that he will tell father, considering that you didn't get into any actual trouble this time."

"All right." Sherlock muttered without looking at his brother, eyes still fixed on his window art work.

They drove in silence for several minutes until Sherlock spoke again. "You liked Lestrade."

"He was nice." Mycroft admitted, keeping a firm grip on the wheel with his free hand, praying that Sherlock wouldn't prod. He wasn't looking forward to having _that_ sort of talk with his brother.

He had no such luck, however.

"No, I mean you _liked_ him." the younger sibling stated, putting emphasis on the one word.

"Sherlock, I-"

"He's an Alpha too." Sherlock went on and interrupted, frowning at his own reflection.

"Yes, he is." Mycroft sighed, resigned, accepting that Sherlock obviously needed to talk about this in order to get his thoughts sorted.

"You're supposed to find an Omega, like Daddy."

"Well, according to the old way of thinking-"

"So you don't _have_ to?" the boy interrupted again, looking thoughtful. "There is no legal obligation?"

Mycroft couldn't help his lips from curving up into a fond little smile. Only Sherlock could be so clueless about Alpha and Omega law, yet throw around phrases like 'legal obligation' at the same time. "No, there isn't any law saying that an Alpha has to mate and bond with an Omega. Some people believe that's the only decent course of action, but their way of thinking is becoming more and more outdated and frowned upon."

"When you say _'some people'_, you mean father, right?" the boy clarified, looking over at his brother.

"Mm, among others." the redhead affirmed.

"But he can't make me?"

"No, he can't. Not legally."

"Okay." Sherlock nodded, leaning into his brother's touch and Mycroft realised he still had a hand in Sherlock's hair. "Why did you like Lestrade?"

Mycroft groaned and finally retrieved his hand, rubbing it over his face instead. He should have known, Sherlock never let anything go. "As I already told, I thought he was nice. And he kept you out of trouble, which was...good."

The curly-haired boy snorted and plastered his trademark _'I-am-going-to-be-an-annoying-little-shit-and-ther efore-make-your-life-difficult'_-grin on his face. "Oh _please_! I could see clear signs of arousal; you're pupils were dilated and your breath quickened when you shook hands. I bet your pulse was elevated too."

"That doesn't mean anything." Mycroft muttered, cursing his pale complexion that caused him to blush so easily.

"Ha! You are not denying it!" Sherlock exclaimed victoriously, looking smug.

"Sherlock?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up!"

Sherlock smirked to himself, happy about being right. But he decided to indulge his brother and stayed quiet until they reached the manor. "Mycroft?"

"What?" the older siblings hissed, still sounding annoyed.

"I've got his mobile number."

Mycroft glared and Sherlock quickly scrambled out of the car, but not without poking out his tongue before he vanished inside.

* * *

_"Master Mycroft?"_

Mycroft was startled at the knock on his door and quickly set his book down to answer it. "Yes?"

"There is a gentleman waiting for you in the lounge, Sir." Geoffrey, their servant slash cook slash nanny slash person who tried to get Sherlock to eat and sleep, informed him.

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"Afraid not, Sir. But he mentioned that he's with the police."

Mycroft narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Where's Sherlock?"

"Outside collecting _'specimens'_."

The redhead groaned, imagining the mess his brother was undoubtedly going to make of the study, which he had turned into his laboratory. "Thank you, Geoffrey, I'll be right there."

"Very well, Sir. Do you wish me to collect Master Sherlock and escort him to the lounge?"

"Thank you, that would be greatly appreciated." Mycroft nodded and then, after a moment of consideration, added; "Use the hose if you have to."

Geoffrey's lips twitched in amusement. "I'll make sure he looks presentable, Sir."

Mycroft chuckled and dismissed the man, making his way down the stairs. They'd be lost without Geoffrey, with their fathers away on business or otherwise occupied so regularly. He had to make sure to buy the man a good bottle of scotch for his birthday - especially after Sherlock had destroyed the last one in one of his 'experiments'.

"This place is enormous!" Gregory Lestrade said as a way of greeting, smiling brightly at Mycroft.

"It has been in the family for generations." Mycroft smiled back and shook the man's hand, refusing to acknowledge the fact that his knees went a little wobbly at the contact. "What can I do for you?" he asked politely, gesturing to one of the sofas.

"Thanks." Lestrade smiled _again_ and flopped down on the plush furniture. "Well, my handcuffs seem to have disappeared around the same time you and your _delightful_ little brother visited me at the station. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"For the love of-"

"Lestrade!" Sherlock announced himself, striding into the room covered in mud. Geoffrey trailed along behind him, shrugging apologetically.

"Solved that case yet, kid?" the police officer grinned.

"Not quite, but I am confident to have it done in a day or two." Sherlock began as he sprawled out over another sofa, not bothering that he basically drenched the fabric in stinky brown goo, and draped a hand over his eyes. "I was just outside collecting data when Geoffrey so rudely interrupted me. What do you want?"

"Where are they?" Mycroft demanded, ignoring the boy's dramatics.

Sherlock peeked at the two men from under his arm. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh?" the older Holmes brother quirked an eyebrow. "So if PC Lestrade and I were to search your room, we wouldn't happen to find a pair of police-issued handcuffs?"

"I hardly doubt you would find them." Sherlock muttered to himself and then added, a little louder; "If you would find a pair of police-issued handcuffs, it would be purely coincidental."

Mycroft rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "Just get them."

"I don't have-"

_"Sherlock!"_

"Fine!" the curly-haired boy snapped and jumped up, storming out of the room and slamming a door somewhere in the manor for good measure.

"One day I am going to strangle him." Mycroft groaned and then froze, looking over at Lestrade. "Pretend you didn't hear that."

"Didn't hear what?" Lestrade asked innocently and blinked his big, brown, warm-

Mycroft shook himself and glanced down at the floor, trying to calm his breathing.

"So, listen." Lestrade began and licked his lips, looking at the redhead almost shyly. "If you happen to have some free time, you know, between chasing after the little devil, would you want to, maybe, go out for a drink sometime?"

"I-" Mycroft began and then clipped his mouth shut and simply stared at the other man. "Are you asking me out? On a date?"

"Yes?"

"Oh."

"Not good?" Lestrade asked, awkwardly, and scratched at the back of his neck. "Look, sorry, forget I said anything." he dismissed when Mycroft failed to say anything and got up. "I just thought that, well, you're...no, you know what, really, forget-"

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes." Mycroft repeated and got up as well. "I think that'd be lovely. Drinks, I mean."

"Wait,_ really?_" Lestrade gaped and beamed in delight when the younger man nodded. "Awesome! Text me whenever works for you, yeah? And please, call me Greg." he smiled - _'Seriously,'_ Mycroft decided,_ 'it's ridiculous how often that man smiles and how adorable he looks doing it!'_ - and handed the redhead a card with his number.

"Thank you. I will. Call. Or text." Mycroft stuttered and hated himself for sounding like an idiot.

Lestrade didn't seem to mind, however, as he continued to smile and leaned close, briefly pecking Mycroft on the cheek. "See you soon."

"Ugh, stop flirting with my brother, you're making me sick!" Sherlock complained, face scrunched up in disgust as he held out Lestrade's cuffs. "Here, I shall bring you to the door now."

"After you, Your Excellency." Lestrade said and bowed, winking at Mycroft before following Sherlock out into the hall.

"You owe me." the boy notified the PC as soon as they were out of hearing range. "I will accept my reward in either more cold cases or chocolate. Brands only."

"Wait, you mean-" Lestrade began, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

Sherlock rolled his eyes as he opened the front door for the man. "Obviously. And it worked, didn't it? Good day." he sniffed and with that slammed the door shut again, right in Lestrade's face.

* * *

**A/N:** A bit of info for those who are not reading strongem'New Beginnings'/em/strong; Mycroft comes from an old Alpha family, one of the few remaining in a world where both them and Omegas are slowly dying out. He has two fathers, one Alpha and one Omega, who were married under the 'old laws', suppressing and dehumanising Omegas. He has three younger siblings, Ford (17), Sherlock (11) and Ellie (7) and acts as stand-in dad, friend and whatever else they might need while their parents are either absent and cold or hurting and abused.


	2. Meet My Family

**A/N:** I present to you; the second chapter of cute, fluffy teenage Mystrade. Yay! And a huge thanks to everyone who has read this so far. I want to hug every single one of you.

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**Warnings:** a minimal amount of swearing

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**Meet My Family  
**

_"Daddy!"_ Ellie shrieked, threw the wooden cutlass down on the carpet, and charged at her father, crashing into the man's legs.

"Uff!" Calvin managed, having the wind knocked out of him by the force that was his youngest daughter. "Come here, sweetheart." he smiled and slid his hands under the girl's arms, lifting her up and settling her on his hip.

"You were gone so _loooong_!" the girl whined and buried her face in the man's neck, feet dangling freely and hands coming to rest on her father's chest and shoulder.

Calvin chuckled and pressed a kiss into her curls. "Have you been good for your brothers?"

"No." Ellie grinned self-satisfied and then began to bob up and down excitedly. "Mycroft has a date!"

"Oh?" the Omega quirked a surprised eyebrow. Ford was chasing after girls with vigour, but his oldest hadn't seemed interested in boys since 'the big break-up', as they had come to call the disastrous end of his last relationship.

"I did an evaluation of all his essential assets and deemed him passable." Sherlock informed his father and leaned against the man's side, proudly peering up at him with his one patch-free eye.

"Ah, that's very brotherly of you, my little sailor." Calvin laughed and bent down to kiss his son's cheek.

Sherlock scowled and rubbed at the kissed spot. "I am a _pirate_!"

"I am the Captain!" Ellie announced firmly and narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"Are not!" the curly-haired boy protested, crossing his arms over his chest. "There were no female pirate Captains."

"It's a game, I can pretend to be a boy." the girl decided and Sherlock snorted, shaking his head.

"All right, calm down." Calvin intervened, putting a soothing hand on his son's head. "Co-Captains?" he suggested and the siblings, after glaring at each other for a few more moments, somewhat reluctantly nodded their approval.

"Oh, oh!" Ellie suddenly grinned, remembering her initial news, and patted the Omega's cheek. "His name is Gregory and-"

"Gregory Lestrade." Sherlock provided helpfully and his sister rolled her eyes at him before continuing.

"And he is with the police! Ford says he has a gun. Do you think I can hold it?"

"No, you can definitely _not_ hold a gun." Calvin said and then, eyes snapping to Sherlock's face, asked; "How did Mycroft meet someone who's with the police?"

"I-"

"Sherlock ran away from the driver and went to a criiiime sceeeene." Ellie interrupted, shooting her older brother her best _'take-that-for-not-allowing-me-to-be-Captain'_-look.

Calvin sighed and Sherlock scowled at his sister.

"And then he shouted at the police officers because they're all idiots."

Sherlock's annoyed _"Shut up!"_ came at the same time as Calvin's angry _"Sherlock!"_.

"But Daddy, I was so dreadfully bored!" the curly-haired boy pouted and stuck out his lower lip, knowing full well how adorable it made him look.

The Omega sighed, running his fingers through the boy's hair. "I know, love."

"It's not my fault." Sherlock grumbled and stretched out his arms for Calvin to pick him up - a little display of affection he'd deny having fallen victim to if anyone ever dared to mention it.

"You're getting too big for this." Calvin tutted, even though both Sherlock and Ellie were relatively small for their age, and picked the boy up. Huffing, Sherlock clung to the man's other side, fighting Ellie's hand for their favourite spot on their father's chest where it was possible to feel the man's heartbeat. In the end, the girl grumbled, but linked her short fingers with Sherlock's in a compromise.

"We missed you." Ellie mumbled, rubbing her cheek against her father's and Sherlock nodded, nuzzling at the man's shoulder, glad that _he_ didn't have to say the actual words.

"We should take a picture of Lockie being all adorable and cute, don't you think?" Ford asked and grinned, leaning in the door next to Mycroft.

"Don't provoke the little monster." the oldest sibling chuckled as he walked over to Calvin, pecking the man's cheek.

Ford rolled his eyes and poked his tongue out at Sherlock, who was pulling faces, but followed suit and kissed his father hello.

"So." Calvin said, handing Ellie over to his eldest and shifting Sherlock into a more comfortable position. "What's that I heard about a date?"

"Sherlock-"

"It wasn't me!" the boy complained and jerked his head in his sister's direction.

"Thanks for that." Mycroft sighed, wrinkling his nose at the girl, who grinned smugly and stretched to press a kiss to its tip.

"You're welcome!"

* * *

As soon as the doorbell rang, all hell broke loose in the Holmes manor.

_"I got it, I got it, I got it!"_ Ellie chanted as she bolted down the stairs, little bare feet slapping against the wooden steps.

"Elienor, do _not_ open that door!" Mycroft shouted from his room, running after his little sister half dressed and with his hair all over the place.

"But I want to see him!" the girl complained as the redhead swooped her up and kicked her legs, wriggling in the teen's grasp.

"He is average looking." Sherlock announced with a smirk, darting past his siblings and into the hall.

Mycroft cursed - much to Ellie's amusement - and just barely caught the hem of the boy's shirt. "Sherlock-"

"I set this up, it is my _right_ to open the door!"

"Do you want me to tell Daddy about the exploded microwave?" Mycroft asked and raised a threatening eyebrow.

"Do you want me to tell Daddy why I was unsupervised and had the chance to experiment with kitchen utensils in the first place?" Sherlock shot back, trying to loosen his brother's grip on him.

"All right, fine!" the oldest sibling growled, not very keen on explaining to his parent what he'd been occupied with at the time. Alone. In his room. With his laptop and headphones. "Two candy bars of your choosing and not a single word about the incident. From either of us."

"Two Double Deckers _and_ I get to watch whatever shows I want on the big telly in your room for the whole weekend." Sherlock demanded, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest.

Mycroft sighed in defeat, impatient to finally open the door and get out of this madhouse. "Deal." he said, held out his hand and Sherlock shook it, satisfied.

"What do I get?" Ellie whinged, tugging at Mycroft's sleeve.

"Noth-"

"Do you want me to tell Daddy that you left us alone to look at naked people on your computer?"

What had he done to deserve this? "What do you want?" the redhead said through gritted teeth while Sherlock nodded approvingly at his sister's attempt at blackmail.

Ellie considered this for a moment and then her eyes went wide. "I want to open the door." she grinned slyly, causing Sherlock to snort with laughter and Mycroft to purse his lips in annoyance.

"Will you behave?" Mycroft asked and Ellie nodded, smiling sweetly and blinking her doe-eyes at him. "Okay, but I'm carrying you."

The bell went again and from somewhere in the manor came an irritated sigh, followed by; "Would someone get the bloody door?"

"Ford, Mycroft's new boyfriend is here!" Ellie announced, loud enough that the man on the other side of the door was bound to hear it, and Mycroft winced, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

There was a clattering sound and then rapid steps in the upstairs hall and a moment later, Ford was sliding down the stairs on the banister.

"Dear Lord..." Mycroft muttered but decided there was nothing for it and, after bracing himself for a second, stepped in front of the door to let Ellie open it, Sherlock and Ford hovering in the background.

"A welcoming committee? You shouldn't have!" Greg grinned at the sight of the four siblings and leaned close to place a quick kiss on Mycroft's cheek.

"Hi." was all the blushing redhead managed in return.

But, as usual, his siblings didn't have any issues to find conversation topics.

Ford, after looking the brunette up and down, shrugged and said; "A gay copper, have fun with that one." before he walked away.

"I must inform you now that if you hurt my brother, I will hunt you down and-"

"Yes, that's quite enough, Sherlock, thank you." Mycroft interrupted quickly and shoved the boy away, shooting him a stern _'Piss off!'_-look.

Ellie used her brother's momentary lack of attention to latch on to Greg, throwing her arms around his neck and circling her legs around his waist.

"Hello there, princess." the PC chuckled and properly settled the girl on his hip. His next sentence got stuck in his throat, though, as the youngest Holmes proceeded to lick a wet strip from his neck all the way to his chin.

"Ellie!" Mycroft hissed, horrified, and made to grab the girl, but Greg, after a moment of shock, laughed and tickled the little redhead, causing her to giggle.

"Done scenting me?"

"Musky." Ellie decided, wrinkled her nose and wiped her tongue on the man's leather jacket.

"You can't even fathom how sorry I am right now." Mycroft sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.

"No worries, I'll live." Greg chuckled and stepped inside while Ellie critically inspected his ear, sniffing at it.

"Ellie..." Mycroft warned, causing the girl to kick at him and bury her face in the PC's neck. "At least get him something to drink while I finish up." the redhead sighed and made to turn, but Greg caught hold of his wrist.

"You look absolutely perfect." the man smiled and blushed a bit as he ran a hand through Mycroft's messy hair with an appreciative hum.

"I...erm, shoes." Mycroft stuttered, flustered, and quickly ran back upstairs, shouting _"Ellie, drinks!"_ over his shoulder.

"We have water and juice and coke and tea." the girl explained and wriggled until she was set down, taking the PC's hand and tugging him along to the kitchen.

"Water's fine, thank you very much." Greg chuckled and very nearly had a heart attack a moment later when the little Holmes climbed up on the counter in order to reach the cabinets. He watched carefully and took a tentative step closer, but the girl appeared to know what she was doing, expertly navigating around the kitchen atop counters, bar stools and the table.

"Here." Ellie finally announced, pressed the glass against his chest and held out her arms, waiting for the man to lift her up again.

"A bit clingy, are we?" the PC laughed, not without a certain fondness, and let the girl snuggle into him, balancing the water in his free hand.

"Walking is dull." Ellie sniffed, smirking up at Greg. "Now take me to the study, we can read something while you wait for Mycroft."

"Clingy and bossy, tsk tsk." Greg tutted but followed the girl's directions to the appointed room, marvelling at the walls covered in old and no doubt expensive books. "What are we reading, then?" he asked, holding the girl up so she could reach one of the top shelves.

"This!" the little Alpha announced, beaming, and held out a ragged looking copy of Jule Verne's _'Voyage au centre de la Terre'_.

The PC poked out his tongue and wrinkled his nose. "It's in French." he complained and the girl frowned, confused. "I don't speak French, sorry." the man clarified, but took the book and settled down on the sofa anyway.

"Oh, that's okay." Ellie smiled and leaned back against him, tucking her head under his chin. "You tell me a story, then."

"Snowhite?" Greg offered and the girl began to make gagging noises.

"Ugh, no. That's so stupid!"

"Cinderella?" Ellie turned, glaring, and the man held up his hands in defence, chuckling at the girl's expression. "Fine, fine! No fairytales. What kind of stories do you like?"

The girl's eyes lit up and a smirk spread across her face as she turned around in the man's lap. Greg swallowed hard, not liking that look at all. "I will ask you some questions."

"What kind-"

"How old are you?" Ellie interrupted and fixed her pale - and in Greg's opinion very creepy - eyes on the man.

"Twenty-six."

"Eew, you're old!" the girl said and shrieked when Greg tickled her belly in response.

"Ta very much." the PC grinned and Ellie drew her brows together in concentration, trying to think of her next question.

"Why do you like my brother?"

"I don't particularly like Sherlock." Greg shrugged.

The little redhead snickered, pushing a hand at his face. "That's not who I meant!"

"Oh?" Greg asked, failing to keep his face straight when Ellie put her hands on her hips and huffed. "Well, Mycroft's cute and nice and smart and-"

"You have been calling each other all week. I tried to listen at the door but Mycroft shouted at me." the girl whined, sounding affronted that spying on her brother was frowned upon by said brother.

The man barked out a laugh. "So that's what all that yelling was about?"

"Are you going to kiss and have sex?" Ellie wanted to know next, clapping her hands in delight when Greg blushed and began to stammer.

"I-...we don't- maybe?"

"And are you-"

"Ellie, love, leave the poor man alone!"

Greg's head snapped up to the man - Omega, clearly one of the sibling's parents, going by the scent - striding into the room, smiling at him apologetically.

"But Sherlock and Ford gave me list with things to ask and I-"

"Of course they did." the older redhead muttered and sighed, pointing at the door. Ellie, admittedly not without cursing and grumbling, ripped out a few of Greg's hairs before sliding off the man and scrambling from the room, squealing when her father playfully patted her bum as she walked by.

"Apologies." the man said and smiled, extending a hand. "Calvin, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. Greg." The PC frowned as he shook the offered hand. "Did- sorry, but did she just steal some of my hair?"

Calvin closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, uttering another long-suffering sigh. "Don't worry, they'll do one of their 'experiments' and get bored in an hour. Worst scenario; the whole house is going to smell like burnt hair for a week."

Greg grinned, reminded of an annoyed Mycroft dealing with an irritating Sherlock.

"You know, I did try to teach them some manners, but the bloody brats seem to be completely immune against it." the Omega grimaced, half fond and half exhausted, and seated himself next to the younger man.

Greg snorted in amusement and shrugged when Calvin raised an eyebrow at him. "Ellie is adorable-"

"Never let her hear you say that." the redhead muttered, smirking.

"And Sherlock, he's fucking brilliant." the PC finished and winced, realising that cursing in front of a prospective boyfriend's father possibly wasn't such a good idea if you wanted to get into his good books.

But Calvin laughed, in earnest, and waved a dismissive hand, somehow reading the Alpha's thoughts. "Wait until you get to spend more than a couple of minutes with Ford. He puts even the toughest sailors to shame."

Greg chuckled and relaxed, tilting his head. "Well, at least Mycroft's turned out all right." he offered in good humour and Calvin nodded, expression turning serious. Well, shit.

"He is a saint." the older man agreed, fixing Greg with a stern look. "Absolutely precious."

The brunette swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably. He noticed the _'if-you-hurt-my-son-I-will-hurt-you'_-undertone in Calvin's voice, having heard it from several parents and used it on his sister's now-husband himself.

"I have no intentions of-" Greg began, only to be cut off by the other man.

"Most of them don't. Not at first." Calvin said heavily and pursed his lips.

"Your son is- he's _amazing_. He takes my breath away." the PC rambled, sheepishly rubbing at his neck. "I know it sounds cheesy, but I knew the moment he walked into that interrogation room that he was special. I can't explain it, not really, it's just..._shit_, he makes me feel like a stupid teenager again." he groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Besides, I think Sherlock already threatened to kill me and let the body vanish if I ever hurt his brother."

"Ah yes, he presented the plans to me just this morning." the Omega said firmly and Greg peeked at him through his eyes, a bit shocked. And then Calvin's lips curved up into an evil grin and he winked at the Alpha, patting his knee.

Greg let out a shaky breath, followed by a croaked laugh. "You scared the shit out of me just there, to be perfectly honest."

"Good." the redhead smiled and got up. "He's all yours."

Greg's eyes snapped up to the door and Mycroft, standing there with flushed cheeks and an uncertain expression.

"Daddy-"

"Have fun tonight." Calvin interrupted, placed a quick kiss on his son's forehead and vanished down the hall.

"Eh, how much of that lil' speech did you hear?" the PC asked, embarrassed, scratching a hand through his hair.

Mycroft tilted his head and tried to suppress to smile tugging at his lips. "Amazing, huh? Taking your breath away?" It was rather fun to be the one making the other person blush instead of the other way around, he had to admit that.

"Oh, shut up." Greg groaned as he walked closer and stopped mere centimetres away, one finger coming up to stroke over the back of the younger man's hand.

_'Well, so much for having the upper hand.'_, Mycroft thought and shuddered, biting at his lower lip.

"Hey."

The redhead looked up and saw Greg smiling that ridiculous smile at him and damn it all to hell, he was completely screwed, wasn't he?

"Ready to go?"

"Yy-" Mycroft croaked, blushed and cleared his throat. "Yes."

"Come on, then." Greg beamed and gestured at the door for the younger man to go first.

And if Greg noticed the hitch in Mycroft's breath when he felt the PC's hand on the small of his back, he chose to ignore it and let his eyes linger on the redhead's backside instead.


	3. First Date

**A/N:** Please accept my sincerest apologies for taking so long with this chapter. I don't even have a good excuse, I guess I'm just a terrible human being. Simple as that. Demonic hell spawn...

* * *

**Chapter Summary:** Date night! It's lovely until it's not. Mycroft is insecure and Greg is understanding. Oh, did I mention what a pest younger siblings can be?

* * *

**Warnings:** swearing, snogging

* * *

**First Date**

Greg had a lovely mouth, Mycroft decided. He watched the police officer chew and swallow - lovely neck, too - before the man under scrutiny glanced up at the redhead to shoot him one of his brilliant smiles.

"All right?" the older Alpha asked, frowning slightly at Mycroft's far away expression. "How's the venison?"

Mycroft blinked, looking down at his plate; two slices of roast venison, baked potatoes and Brussels sprouts, everything mostly untouched. A quick peek at the other man's almost empty plate made him blush and cough awkwardly. "Yes, good. Perfect."

"Oh, really?" Greg asked, a smug grin tugging at his lips. "How would you know?" He quirked an eyebrow and jerked his head at Mycroft's wasted meal.

"Sorry, I... you distracted me with your story," Mycroft grumbled, trying to sound accusing and failing miserably, even though it was true. Well, partly. He _had_ been distracted by Greg talking. Not so much by the actual words than by the movement of his lips, but that still counted. Right?

"Do you realise how adorable you are like this?" Greg chuckled, biting at his lower lip.

Mycroft closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You're killing me," he muttered, fondly, before glancing up again to smile back at the other man.

Greg barked out a laugh and then quickly clasped a hand over his mouth when he received several glares from the other guests. He pulled a face and wrinkled his nose, beaming when he saw Mycroft suppressing a laugh of his own.

"More wine, sirs?"

The two Alphas jumped, neither having seen or heard the waiter approach.

"Please," Greg managed to croak and the waiter swiftly refilled their glasses, departing with a knowing wink.

Mycroft glanced across the table at his dining partner and the two of them held out exactly three seconds before bursting out in another round of giggles, this time ignoring the people around them.

The brunette cleared his throat and sighed, running a hand over his face before refocusing his eyes on Mycroft. "Killing you wasn't really my intention, you know. In fact, I had very different plans for tonight."

"Oh?" the younger man raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

"That would be inappropriate dinner conversation," the PC smirked, but settled his hand on the table between them, palm up, and looked at the younger man imploringly. His tongue darted out to lick at the corner of his mouth.

Mycroft, praying that he wasn't turning any redder than he already was, took the invitation for what it was and carefully put his own hand over Greg's, gently linking their fingers and squeezing softly.

Greg couldn't have looked happier if he'd tried and squeezed back, running his thumb over Mycroft's knuckles as he launched into another tale about his wild teenage years, gesturing with his free arm and pausing every so often to smile at his date.

And Mycroft listened, or rather watched, forgetting his dinner for the second time.

* * *

"Dinner was lovely." Mycroft smiled and blushed, carefully looking anywhere but at Greg as they were strolling through the park, enjoying the relatively warm October night.

"Yeah? Good enough for Monsieur's high and posh standards?" the older man grinned and Mycroft scowled. A bit. And not overly enthusiastic.

"Would you stop going on about my 'posh house' and-"

"The butler?"

The redhead sniffed and blushed a little more. It wasn't his fault that he'd been born into one of Britain's wealthiest families, was it now?

Greg chuckled, nudging Mycroft's shoulder with his own. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Relieved, actually. You have no idea how nervous I was for the last few days."

"I can imagine," Mycroft muttered, thinking back to his own jitters. And his siblings' relentless teasing.

"Well, that-" the brunette began, interrupted by a biker racing past them at break-neck speed, only very nearly avoiding a collision. If it hadn't been for the Greg's quick reaction to shove Mycroft out of the way, the whole incident could have ended pretty nasty. "Ta very much, you stupid fucker!" he yelled after the man, who pretended not to hear and drove on.

"Don't be rude, Gregory," Mycroft tutted, but wasn't able to suppress the amused smile tugging at his lips.

"You okay?" the older Alpha asked, running his eyes over his date to assess any possible injuries.

Mycroft, suddenly realising how close Greg was, their chests pressed firmly together and the PC's fingers protectively curled around his wrist, had to swallow several times before he managed to croak out "Fine, thanks."

The smile he got in response was breathtaking. "Dessert?" Greg beamed and tugged the flustered teen along, linking their fingers again and stroking a warm thumb over the back of Mycroft's hand.

"I-" the redhead squawked, snapped his mouth shut and took a deep breath. Being flustered because of something as simple as hand holding was just ridiculous. Second try. "Dessert, yes," he confirmed and winced inwardly at his sudden lack of eloquence.

Greg levelled him with a strange look that caused Mycroft to squirm and shift uncomfortably. He was about to ask when the older Alpha grinned and pulled him into a brief hug.

"You have no idea how cute you are underneath that posh and proper attitude, do you?" the police officer snickered, winked at the stunned, wide-eyed redhead and set off again, Mycroft following behind in a happy daze.

* * *

"But..._how?_" Greg asked, brows knitted together, his spoon hovering halfway between the cone and his mouth. "Isn't that super exhausting?"

Mycroft shrugged and licked at his own little plastic spoon. "Sometimes, yes."

Greg pulled a face, waved his hand as if to say _'See? Way too much work!'_ and popped another bite of coffee gelato into his mouth.

"Nothing wrong with being ambitious," the younger man huffed and inclined his head, watching the PC eat and, yes, that had been a mistake. His face flushed hot and he quickly turned away, embarrassed. He actively tried not to count how many minutes of their date he'd spent with a face redder than his hair.

"No, 'course not," the other man agreed. "Double major, that's amazing. Really impressive. I wouldn't have the patience for it, though."

"You've met my siblings." Mycroft winced and grimaced at the thought of the three annoying brats, because love and relation aside, they were just that; annoying beyond belief. "I have a high tolerance."

"Yeah, your family is... _unique_. And I mean that in the best way possible," Greg chuckled, lifting his head to regard his date. "You, er... you got a little... on your..." he mumbled, but trailed off after a moment, only to reach out and swipe a thumb over Mycroft's bottom lip before bringing it to his own mouth and licking away the drops of wayward dessert.

Mycroft's breath caught in his throat and he simply stared at the older man, eyes following the thumb and growing impossibly wide when Greg actually _licked_ it. The redhead made a strange kind of _hnnngh_-sound in the back of his throat and Greg had just about enough time to remove his finger before he found Mycroft's lips against his own, soft and warm.

The brunette let out a surprised _"Oh!"_, but quickly collected himself. One hand wandered to the back of Mycroft's neck while the other was placed on his waist, urging him closer on the bench they'd commandeered for the final part of their date.

The younger Alpha went willingly, practically melting into Greg's side, his hands curling into the man's jacket and tugging. He stifled a moan when he felt Greg's tongue probe at the seam of his lips and quickly parted them, letting the other man in to explore. Greg tasted like the red wine from dinner earlier and coffee from the gelato, which had been predictable. There was a hint of cigarette smoke too, which, under normal circumstances, would have caused Mycroft to say something about health risks and yellow teeth, but the redhead was currently a bit distracted by something much more interesting; the older man's Alpha scent. Pheromones quickly filled the air around them and made him positively dizzy. He hoped he was having a similar effect on the older man, because that would only be fair after all the blushing, stuttering and croaking he'd done over the course of the evening.

The biology and chemistry were simple, of course, not to say a little dull. Omegas were generally associated with wind or water, freshness and cleanliness, while Alphas, being the dominant gender - and Mycroft had a really hard time not rolling his eyes at that thought and why the bloody hell was he even still thinking when there was a gorgeous man attached to his throat? - carried fiery and earthly smells, radiating strength and security. Alphas and Omegas - perfect matches. If one chose to believe in that sort of nonsense and waste one's time concerning oneself with folklore and superstitions. Secondary gender was completely superficial, point being proven by how immensely enjoyable snogging another Alpha on a bench in a park surrounded by the cool autumn chill was.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Greg panted when they pulled apart for some much needed oxygen, only to immediately lean back in, seeking out the younger man's mouth again.

Mycroft smiled against the brunette's lips before trailing down over his chin and jaw to his throat, nuzzling behind Greg's ear and making the older man shiver and stifle a moan. Mycroft grinned and nipped playfully, sliding his hands underneath Greg's jacket to stroke over his chest, his ribs - everything he could reach, really. It didn't matter, as long as he could _smell_ him. _God_, he might hate his heritage sometimes, cursing and wishing for some Beta normality, but he wouldn't trade the sense of smell for anything, not when Greg was so intoxicating and perfect and... _nngh!_ Mycroft briefly frowned at the fact that he seemed to have lost the ability to form coherent sentences even inside his own head, but dismissed that notion again in favour of identifying and storing away as much detail as possible.

Spiky stubble brushing against his own cheeks almost made him blush again. He may have mentioned to Greg over the phone that a bit of facial hair wasn't a complete turn off. Like, absolutely not at all. And Greg had obviously listened, which made Mycroft's breath hitch and his fingers tighten where they were currently holding on to the other man's hips. The PC seemed to notice, winding his own arms closer around the younger Alpha and pulling, ignoring that it was physically impossible to bring them closer still. Which, eventually, and after a bit of struggling and shifting, lead to Mycroft being lifted straight into the older man's lap, his legs on either side of Greg's thighs.

"This is highly inappropriate, you know," the redhead pointed out between kisses, risking a quick glance over his shoulder to see that, damn, there were several people watching them - some with keen interest, others with disgusted looks on their faces. Mycroft cringed and tried to move away, but Greg wound his arms tight around the teenager's waist to keep him in place. "Gregory."

The police officer shuddered and let out a shaky breath. "I'm most certainly not letting you stand up if you keep saying my name like..._ that!_"

"I don't know what you mean. And people are staring," Mycroft whispered uncomfortably.

"They do little else," Greg mumbled absently, licking along the younger Alpha's bottom lip, grinning when the motion caused a full body shiver.

_"Gregory!"_ Mycroft hissed, the effect of the threat more or less nullified by his flushed cheeks and kiss-swollen lips, but Greg did loosen his grip after running his hands up and down Mycroft's back one more time.

"Wouldn't want to jeopardise your future political career by a sex scandal," he joked and accepted Mycroft's hand, letting himself be pulled up. Mycroft grimaced and Greg laughed, placing another quick kiss on his mouth. "Well, that was quite enjoyable, wouldn't you say?" he smirked, waggling his eyebrows at the redhead.

"We, eh... could continue this somewhere a bit more... private?" Mycroft suggested, his own grin nothing short of predatory.

"Oh, definitely," Greg growled and snagged one of Mycroft's hands, showering the knuckles with tiny kisses before starting off towards the park gates.

* * *

They made it to Greg's car and no further, collapsing all over each other on the bench in the back, an unorganised tangle of limbs. Neither man cared, though, both of them too preoccupied with exploring the novelty of a new, unfamiliar lover.

Greg had both his hands under Mycroft's dress shirt, making the redhead wonder when and how exactly he'd been stripped out of his coat and jacket. Not that he was overly bothered by the loss of either, not with Greg so close, running teasing fingers up his ribs and over his chest while nuzzling just above his left collarbone, eliciting a string of breathy, content and obviously aroused whimpers and groans.

Mycroft dug his own fingers into the older man's hips, dipping his thumbs under the waistband of his jeans, and pulled. He thrust up at the same time, causing the two of them to moan in unison. Greg's ministrations faltered and he seemed to lose track for a moment, relishing the feeling of their half-hard cocks rubbing together. Even if it was through four layers of clothing.

This was what Mycroft appreciated the most about dating men, mostly older than himself and, more often than not, other Alphas. The physical aspect to such relationships was always easy, never complicated. And while the courting process was exciting and rewarding, while dating was lovely and sometimes even sickeningly romantic, the sex, in the end, was always the most thrilling experience of the lot. Endorphins, pheromones and oxytocin mixing together in a cocktail of lust and desire never failed to shut up Mycroft's usually over-thinking and constantly racing mind.

Which made it such a hard choice to sit back, one hand gently pushing against Greg's chest until he moved away as well. The physical part was the most stimulating thing about a new relationship, true, but giving oneself up for it too quickly tended to end a bit, well, _not good_, in his personal experience. Mycroft tried not to dwell on the memories, on how, the last time, it had been doomed pretty much from the start, but he couldn't prevent all of them from resurfacing.

Some of the discomfort must have shown on his face, because Greg tilted his head, watching him with his brows knitted together in a concerned frown.

"You okay?" the brunette asked, placing his hand on Mycroft's thigh. A warm, comforting weight.

Mycroft nodded and rubbed a hand over his eyes, unable to meet Greg's gaze. He shouldn't have let it go this far, not let it get out of hand like this. He knew better. They should have had dinner and gone home after, but instead he had started _this_, which was as good as a promise for more, and Greg would have expectations he wasn't willing to address. Not just yet, at least.

_'Don't be a tease, Mickey.'_ Mycroft heard it, clear as day, as if _he_ was sitting right there next to him. He shuddered involuntarily, huffing at his brain's betrayal. Well, that was a way to end an otherwise lovely evening, he thought bitterly, curling his hands into fists. What were the odds of someone calling you again after you made them buy you dinner, snogged them senseless, teased them mercilessly - if unintentionally - and then practically threw them off and-

"Let's get you home, shall we?" Greg smiled and quickly kissed Mycroft again before opening the door and sliding out of the backseat to take the place behind the wheel.

The redhead sat frozen for a few more moments, then joined the other man in the front of the car, buckling himself into the passenger seat. "What?"

Greg kept his eyes on the key as he turned it in the ignition, but there was a light blush creeping up his neck. "Well, it's rather late, isn't it?"

"You're not... upset?" Mycroft blurted out before he was able to stop himself. Greg's head whipped around and he stared at the younger man incredulously, mouth hanging slightly open.

"You think I'm put out 'cause you didn't put out on the first date?"

Mycroft pulled a face at that particular choice of words and Greg grinned, shrugging a bit, but sobered swiftly, his expression turning serious again.

"Some people would be," Mycroft mumbled almost inaudibly, resolutely looking out of the window and not in the other Alpha's direction.

"Obviously some people are stupid," Greg decided and it sounded definite, his jaw firmly set and his hands gripping the wheel harder than strictly necessary. "There's no rush, we have all the time in the world. Well, unless your siblings murder me because they think I took up to much of your time and dump my body in the Thames."

Mycroft smiled, biting his bottom lip in a failing attempt to stop. "Don't be ridiculous," he sniffed, finally chancing a glance at his date, who met his eyes when they came to a halt at a crossroads. "Sherlock would insist on dissolving you in acid and talk Ford into experimenting on the remains before burning them and giving the ash to Daddy as a fertiliser for the gardens."

"That's... not exactly comforting, you know," Greg snorted after a moment of shocked silence and leaned over to brush his lips over Mycroft's just as the light turned green again.

Neither of them could keep the resulting giddy grins of their faces for the rest of the journey.

* * *

"You didn't have to walk me to the door," Mycroft said against Greg's mouth, even as he tugged the other man closer against himself with no intention of letting him go anytime soon.

"Maybe I wanted to," Greg whispered, hands wandering lower on Mycroft's back until they skimmed the waistband of his trousers.

"And you wouldn't have had any ulterior motive in mind when you decided to be gentlemanly?" the redhead teased, playfully quirking both his eyebrows.

"None whatsoever," the older man smirked and squeezed Mycroft's behind, effectively pulling them flush against each other, pressed together from chest to toe.

_"Liar!"_

Greg nearly jumped at the sudden voice coming from above them, then closed his eyes and let his head fall onto his date's shoulder.

"Sherlock-" Mycroft began to warn, only to be interrupted by a second noisy sibling.

"That looks gross," Ellie commented, hanging over the balcony rail and wrinkling her nose at the sight of her brother and the DI. "Why would you choose to lick at someone's mouth? It's sharing _spit_, Mycroft. _Ugh!_"

Somewhere behind the two kids, Ford could be heard laughing shamelessly at his sister's annotations.

"The two of you should be in bed," Mycroft sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. Both Sherlock and Ellie shrugged, utterly unapologetic. "And for the love of God, stop dangling there, you're going to fall!"

Ellie gave a half-hearted whine of protest when Ford stepped out and lifted her up, settling the girl on his hip, but proceeded to rest her head on his shoulder nonetheless.

"It's revolting," Sherlock tsked before turning on his heels and stomping back inside, muttering something about cigarette filters and lime juice.

"Use protection," Ford snickered and followed his younger brother, Ellie twisting in his arms to make kissing noises at the two Alpha's on the front step until the door shut behind them.

"I am so, _so_ sorry about that. Apologies," Mycroft groaned, burying his own face in Greg's neck.

"At least you're never bored," Greg chuckled and cupped the younger man's face. "Now, where were we?" he grinned and hummed appreciatively when Mycroft closed the final distance between them.


End file.
